Flying Eagles Set For Tough Benin Teat set

Flying Eagles arrived in Cotonou Saturday afternoon ahead of an AYC qualifier warm-up against hosts Benin the following day.

The test match will be played at the Stade Rene Pleven Cotonou 2 by 4pm.

It was the same venue both teams played out a 1-1 draw two years ago.

NFF president’s special adviser
Patrick Pascal has warned the Flying Eagles should expect a physical challenge from the home team after he accompanied the Golden Eaglets to lose the Benin U17 in a WAFU B U17 Championship.

“They will not take this game as a friendly and they will most likely line up big and strong players like was the case against us in Togo,” warned the ex-international.

The home team had earlier planned to camp the Flying Eagles in Porto Novo, where they are also training, and both teams would then make the hour-long bus ride to Cotonou on match day.

However, coach Manu Garba kicked against this arrangement and the Flying Eagles were booked into Bresilia Hotel, which is a five-minute drive from the match venue.

Incidentally, Nigeria Premier League club El Kanemi Warriors stayed at this hotel for their pre-season training tour of Benin recently.

The Nigeria U20s could not train on Saturday evening as hoped because a league game was being played at the match venue.

They hope they could now shake up fatigue with an early Sunday morning session.

Coach Manu is expected to ring two changes to his settled first team with Izu Omego in for Zaharadeen Bello in the heart of the back four.

Ifeanyi Ifeanyi will also replace defensive midfielder Akinjide Idowu in the starting XI.

Both teams are using this match to prepare for this weekend’s AYC qualifiers.

Nigeria will be away to Tanzania, while Benin battle Congo also away from home.